Walla Walla hip-hop event to feature dance battles, guest symphony performance

Sixteen dance crews will compete at a hip-hop event in Walla Walla on Saturday, June 13.

The Get Down Vol. 5 will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Ballroom at Whitman College, 280 Boyer Ave. At 1 p.m., there will be a performance featuring Comon Pholk, a local hip-hop group, and the Walla Walla Symphony. Community members can attend at no cost.

The event is organized by 5th Element Project, a Walla Walla-based nonprofit hip-hop organization.

"We create platforms for culture, primarily by organizing events like the one we're having Saturday," said Peter de Grasse, one of the nonprofit's founders.

The organization has hosted hip-hop events since 2021. Last year, about 400 people attended.

"It (breakdancing) is the original dance form of hip-hop culture," he said.

Most of the participating groups are traveling from Seattle, Portland, the Tri-Cities and other areas. The first-place team will receive a $2,000 cash prize, while the second-place team will receive $1,000.

The nonprofit also works to create educational opportunities in the community, de Grasse said, including hosting weekly sessions where participants can learn about dance foundations in popping and breaking, and teaching a course at Whitman College.

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